SOUND ADVICE: Mike O'Leary's 'What's It To Ya?' a fine outing

Singer-songwriter Mike O'Leary Lives in Woodstock, and teaches English at Kingston High School, both of which inform his CD "What's It To Ya?" O'Leary plays acoustic guitar, mandolin and keyboards, and is joined by Steve Mulvaney on guitar, ace bass man Mike Colletti and Mike Oliveri on drums.

O'Leary wrote all the songs here (expect for "Dirty Old Town") and the title track "What's It To Ya" has the lush dreamy sound of early Doobie Brothers, and the piano driven, guitar-propelled sound is nostalgic and sentimental in all the right ways. It's a sound you didn't realize how much you missed.

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"Believer" is cut from the same cloth, with fine guitar fills and sizzling slide work. The nautical "Steamboat Captain" would make Gordon Lightfoot proud, while the poignant "Nowhere to Be" and Beatle-esque, bluegrass-tinged "Now That I Know" hit hard. The gorgeous "My Place" is a highlight, as is the moving "Marigold Hill" and rollicking "Dirty Old Town."

Take a trip back in time with this fine outing. We give the teacher an A.

David Malachowski is a guitarist, producer and freelance journalist living in Woodstock. The Freeman seeks CDs by local artists or artists appearing locally for review. Please send all CDs (please no CD-Rs or demo CDs) to Daily Freeman c/o Preview, 79 Hurley Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401.